When an AIADMK delegation led by former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi late last month, political circles were abuzz with speculation that the half-a-century old Dravidian party was about to resolve differences with the BJP and cement an electoral alliance. The AIADMK was clearly on the back foot, as Palaniswami, who once said that state BJP chief K. Annamalai would have no role in deciding on the alliance, had to seek Annamalai’s help to meet Shah.
“There is no rift,” said Palaniswami, coming out of the meeting. The reconciliation happened as the BJP realised that defeating the DMK alliance, which polled 52 per cent of the votes in 2021, was not an easy task. BJP strategists believe that the only viable way forward for the party is to split the pro-DMK votes or to consolidate the anti-DMK votes. With the DMK alliance staying strong and minority voters siding with it, splitting the vote bank may not be possible in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. So the BJP has chosen to repair its frayed ties with the AIADMK and consolidate the joint vote bank.
This story is from the May 14, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 14, 2023 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.